Question

A woman is walking down a sidewalk when she sees a wallet lying on the ground next to the sidewalk. The woman looks inside the wallet and sees cash, a driver's license and a number of credit cards. The woman takes the cash for herself and drops the wallet back on the ground where she found it. Would it be appropriate to charge this woman with theft of lost or mislaid property?

Answer 1

The woman's action of taking cash from a found wallet, despite it containing identification, can be considered theft of lost or mislaid property according to the law, as she intended to permanently deprive the owner of the money.

Step-by-step explanation:

Whether it would be appropriate to charge the woman with theft of lost or mislaid property depends on the jurisdiction, but in general, taking possession of someone else's property with the intent to deprive them of it permanently can indeed be considered theft. The woman in the scenario took cash from the wallet, which clearly belongs to someone else, as evidenced by the presence of a driver's license and credit cards. By appropriating the cash for herself, she has committed an act lying squarely within the realm of theft. Typically, the law requires a person who finds lost property to make reasonable efforts to return it to its rightful owner or turn it over to the authorities. By removing the cash and then discarding the wallet, the woman neglected any such responsibility and thereby engaged in theft.